Saddles and other stable items can often be worth thousands of kronor each. This means that a relatively large amount of value can be found in a small area in a tack room – which in turn attracts thieves.
A stable in Tenhult, southeast of Jönköping, is one of the latest to be affected.
During the night of Wednesday, someone broke into the saddle room and stole, among other things, five saddles and a number of riding helmets.
This is the fourth similar theft in a short time in the county. Saddle thefts have also occurred in several other places in southern Sweden recently. Until last week, there were at least 20 cases, according to the police.
We got figures on that last week, when it was up to around 20, including in our region at the time, but also, for example, in Bergslagen and the Mitt region, says Martina Gradian.
Sold abroad
However, it is too early to say what a possible connection looks like.
We are looking into whether we can connect these different cases in some way.
What we know they have in common is that they steal saddles and other stable equipment which they can then sell on a secondary market, often abroad. But whether they are the same people, we cannot answer that right now.
However, it has been known for some time that stable thefts often occur in droves, according to the police, who have therefore issued warnings about the thefts on their website.
Sentenced to prison
A few years ago, three men were sentenced to several years in prison for stealing over 80 saddles in Skåne, Värmland and Västra Götaland.
Generally speaking, however, these are difficult crimes to investigate.
These are difficult cases to investigate. That's why it's important to make it as difficult as possible for the thieves, says Martina Gradian.
Here are some things that can reduce the risk of saddle theft.
Alarm the tack room if possible. Regardless, make sure you have a really good lock. Also lock wheelbarrows, for example, which could otherwise be used to transport stolen goods between the stable and a vehicle.
Another preventive measure is to lock the saddles with so-called saddle locks.
Make sure you have good lighting outside and make sure there is no vegetation or other privacy barriers at the door.
Be alert for any strange people or vehicles in the area.
To be able to identify the stolen goods afterwards, it is a good idea to take a picture of the saddle and write down the saddle number. It is advisable to use DNA marking.
Source: Police
